Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg demonstrated that their campaign organization is in strong shape going into the 2018 gubernatorial election naming 1050 county chairs who represent all of Iowa’s 99 counties.
The campaign is also in strong financial shape. In January, Kim Reynolds for Lt. Governor reported having $1,084,979.06 cash on hand. That committee has since been amended to become Kim Reynolds for Iowa, her gubernatorial campaign committee.
In contrast, State Senator Nate Boulton (D-Des Moines) started his gubernatorial campaign with $11,179.22 cash on hand from his state senate campaign. State Representative Todd Prichard (D-Charles City) reported just $3,113.97 cash on hand in January from his state house campaign. Other Democrat candidates, Rich Leopold and Andy McGuire, did not announce until 2017 and had no financial disclosure statements to date.
Outgoing Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett has not announced whether he will challenge Reynolds for the Republican nomination but is expected to.
“As we continue to lay the groundwork for the 2018 election, we are thrilled to have the support of so many Iowans in all 99 counties. Lt. Governor Gregg and I intend to build a better Iowa by creating a competitive business environment, developing an innovative energy strategy, educating our children for the knowledge economy, and training Iowans for the jobs of tomorrow. These Iowans, and many more to come, share our commitment to making our state better for our children and grandchildren, and we are honored to have their support,” Reynolds said in a released statement.
“This strong outpouring of support for our vision of a better Iowa is truly humbling. Governor Reynolds and I pledge to work with all Iowans as we strive to keep our state a national leader in education, job growth, and quality of governance,” Gregg added in the same press release.
The Reynolds-Gregg campaign announced that their list would periodically be updated as it grows.